Shelf bracket



Patented June 13, 1933 "i UNITEDS-TATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS M. KEEEFE,F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0' J'. I. EUSTIS MANU-` `FACTURINGrCOMPANY,` OF CAMBRIDGE, vMASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 'OF' MASSACHUSETTSSHELF BRACKET Application mea January 19, 1932.- serial No. 587,460.

This invention relates to brackets forsupporting shelves or otherarticles which the brackets are adapted to hold, and such bracketcomprises a `very simple vcombination of a relatively few essentialparts, for gripping or clamping a shelf or other article rigidly in thedesired position. The preferred construction ofthe improved bracketpresents a number of objects .andl advantages, but all of these may notnecessarily be resorted to.k 1 v l By preference thespecific objects andadvantages 'incident to the specifically lillustrated and describedbracket are as follows:

The lparts of the bracket Lcoordinate 1n a positive manner to grip orhold ashelf, and such bracket is therefore not dependent upon springtension in connectionwith any part thereof. One of the objects is toprovide anl end piece for clamping orgripping the frontedge of a shelf,such end plece Vbeing adjustable to a. fixed position so that it willnot vibrate and become loose. vrl"he assembly` of such specific bracketconsists of three pieces only, `a main part or bracket proper whichfastens to the Wall, an adjustable member and a lnut for adjusting suchmember, all Aconstructed and assembled in such way that no parts willlweaken or break. Also, the grip of the movable end piece is positiveupon the shelf, with a tendency to lock lthe adjustingA nut when the nutis set. Y Further objects ofL the invention may be,

= j and preferably are, to so construct the bracketithat it is adaptedto clampk rigidly in position shelves with either flator rounded edges,andit is notl :necessary to use4 shelves with yspecially beveled edges,these being 40' liable to chip and fracture quite easily;

and also to provide a simple construction which lends itself to economyin production and to vartistic or ornate lines.

With specific objects such as these lin view,

45. theinvention specifically consists of certain features ofconstruction` and combinations of parts such as hereinafter .describedand then claimed with reference to the vaccompanying `drawingillustrating onel embodiment of the invention, and wherein v Fig. l is aside elevation of the`v improved bracket with vfa cross-section of ashelf, the

end piece beingshownas moved to an outward position so as to permit theshelf to be rested upon the bracket; v

F ig. 2 is 'a sectional view, partly iny elevation, of the bracket, ashelf being shown as rigidly held by the bracket;

Fig. V3 is a top planvof the bracket, the end Vpiece being shown in theposition illustrated in Fig. 1 and I I Fig. 4 is a cross-section ofthebracket, ony the line 1- 4, Fig. 3, as Vviewed in the direc# tion `ofthe arrows. l

Preferably all parts' of `the bracket are made ofmetal. The bracketproper 10,is

adapted to supporta glass shelfrll or other siredmanner, Vor by means ofani attachingdevice llsecured to the wall and to which the bracketproper 10 is rigidly attached by means of a set-screw'lf, following if4desired. the invention forming the subject matter of a separateapplication.` f Y Y From thebase V12 out to the extreme outerV terminalVofthe bracket its top surface15 is formed flat, so that the shelf 11may Vproperly rest uponthebracket.l Just beyond the outer terminal ofthe bracket proper 10, and which .terminalvis preferably squared roff atright angles to. thelongitudinal axis lof the bracketL proper, there islocated a movable end piece or fingerl 16 serving, as lgripping means topositively abut the frontl edge of the shelf.-r This end piece extendsupwardly and is formed with an inner portion 1.7 which is squared off atits inner face seas to cor-l sok Vsides 'off the bracket.

SIL

tra@ is er the semis or cylindrical shape and smooth so 'as to 'fitslidinglyl into the correspondingly shaped bore 20, whichis alsosmooth.A The reduced4 extension 19 of the stem is spaced slightly awayfrom the surface of the reduced ,rpor,l

tion 21 of the bore, preferably so as to avoid frictional engagement'with such surface. Intermcdiately of the lengthlof the bore, thebracket proper 'is formed with an intersecting aperture 22 which 'opensout at both i An adjusting-nut 23 with a kn'u'rled 'edge' is arranged inthe'aperture 2,2,` 'ts l'thread engaging with a screwthreaded length 24of the stem. j.

Tt will 'beseen that 'thefopposite sides of the nut project slightlylfrom' the bracket proper so :that the salme may be rotated `by thefingers.l When the n'ut is rotated in 'one' direction, the end piece 16is moved in a direction away from `the' 'outer terminal Vof the bracketproper, so that shelf or "article sjuch as the shelf 11 may be vvrestedupon the flat upper Vsurface 'ofthe 'bracket proper, `as shown inFig. 1. When the shelf is in'such positionit may now be rigidly 'clampedyin such position by turning the nut 23 in the opposite direction,thereby advancing the 40 end piecelb into firm `abutting and'positivetion.

abutting' contact with the front edge 'of the shelf, assuming thatthe'she'lf 'abuts the base member '12 atits 'rea"r"edge. The settingvhome ofthe nut 23' during such fi'Xai-io'n 'will cause f fhejnut' 'atits'f'r'on't face "to bear 'firmly upon vthe front face 'ofthe Aapertuie22, there# 'acting to ri'gidly'lo'ck A'the nut, fand lhence the *partsoperated thereby inthe 'final posi- 'Such adjustments are'permitted bythe :simple telescopic "connection ef 'the 4end piece 16 with thebracket proper A1:0.

Inasmuch as the adj'ujstingnu't is f free fromfrictional'engagement'with the front wallof rthe aperture l'22 when "theVend piece isremoved A[outwardly from clamping pesition on thefrontpeclge' of Ithe'sh'elf, it is desirable that 'simple means beprovided rfor maintaining the-end piece 16 Iso as -rto point upwardly,thus requiring onlythe use l'offene handin 11turn-ing 'the nut"237andadjusting 'fthe end piece 41cutward-1y and i-awww, *Sach positioning*means is associated with 'the bracket #at 4V'a point between-the steml18 and the outer (end of thefgripping piece 16 and cnsistsin *ate'les'copic connection l'between the inner portion 17 of the end pieceand the adjacent terminal of the bracket proper. Such associated meanspreferably resides in a hole 25 which is formed in the bracket terminal,in between the fiat upper surface 15 of the bracket and the bore 20,together with a pin 26 which extends inwardly from the inner face of theportion 17 and is guided in the said hole 25. The two telescopicconnections between the end piece and the bracketiproper are parallel.lT1Preferably the length of thepositioning 'pin' 26 'is more or less'determined relatively to the length of thenportion 21 ofthe bore thebracket,- vv vhichextendsto-the rear of thevaper-ture 22.

Therefore, the length of the 26 ,is made lesstlian the length of therear portion of the stem which is intersected by the nut 23,

.wfh'en'theyparts are 5 in gripping position.

Therefore, it will be seen that when the end piece 16 isadjustedtoftl're position shown in Fig. v1,'o`r even to such 'positionas to disengage the pin` 26` from 'its hole, there will be a short"portion of the ste-1n exten-'ding rearwardly into the hole back 0`f theape`rture 22. KIn 'actual practice lwith given prop'orftions between theshelf andthe `length of the bracket', the end piece will always bepositioned in 2a direction to extend upwardly, assuming that -a range ofadjustment is desired such as to care for slight variations which may'be encountered Vin Vshelves 'which are supposed to befof thesamewidths.

v In practice it is preferred lthat the base' 12 of the bracket fact Lasthe seat member against which the inner edge of a shelf may be clamped,and li'nsucfh case it lis preferred thaft the 'forward face of thebasebe'prowided with 'a hump 427ih'a'vlin'g an 4inclined lulnder-I face128 to' facilitate positioning the rear edge'of the shelf, and 'toactla's `vastop against the 'upward Iriioveme'nt of fthe' shelf "when itis positively 'clamped in pojsiti'on'. "lhere-n fore, to release "thes'helf-'fit is *essential to positively 'move Pthe endpiece 16 fawayfrom it, by means ofthev adjustinginut23. t'willil furthermore -be 'seen1that any pressure upward-ly against 'the shelf *will 'n ot release iit,becau'sefthe positive grip lmustffirst l'be overcome. y Y

Gb'viously, the invention fis susceptible to more or `vless fmodification without departing NIO et proper and the projecting inneredge of the end-piece for maintaining the end-piece so as to extend in agiven direction with respect to the bracket proper. Y

2. A supporting bracket, including the combination of 4a bracket properhaving means for fixing it in supporting position, and having a restsurface, a movable endpiece angularly projecting therefrom beyond therest surface for bearing at its inner edge on an article supported onthe rest surface, means for positively adjusting the end-piece for suchpurpose, and means directly associated with the outer extremity of thebracket proper and the projecting inner edge of the end-piece formaintainingthe end-piece so as to extend in a given direction withrespect to the bracket proper, such associated means comprising atelescopic connection located between the Irespective ends of theprojecting end-piece.

3. A supporting bracket, including the combination of a bracket properhaving means for fixing it in supporting position, and having a restsurface, a movable endpiece angularly projecting therefrom beyond therest surface, for bearing at its inner edge on an article supported onthe rest surface, means for positively adjusting the end-piece for suchpurpose, the bracket proper having a hole inl its outer extremity andthe end-piece having a pin extending inwardly from its projecting inneredge and guided in the hole, for maintaining the endpiece so as toextend in a given direction with respect to the bracket proper.

4. A supporting bracket, including the combination of a bracket pro-per,provided with a bore extending through its outer end, a stem guidedlongitudinally in the bore and screw-threaded on its inner end, thebracket proper having lengthwise thereof a rest surface for an article,and having a side aperture extending from the bore at a pointbelow therest surface and opposite the screw-thread, such aperture being locatedbetween the ends of such rest surface, a rotatable nut positioned in theaperture and threaded onto such screw-thread, and an end-piece locatedoutside of the bracket proper and projecting at an angle to the outerend of the stem, for positive engagement with the article supported onthe rest surface of the bracket proper.

5. A supporting bracket, including the combination of a bracket properhaving an angularly projecting seat v member at its inner end andprovided with ay smooth bore extending through its j outer end, a stemguided longitudinally in the bore and screwthreaded on its inner end,the bracket proper having lengthwise thereof a rest surface for `anarticle, and having a side aperture extending from the bore at a pointbelow the rest surface and opposite the screw-- thread, suchaperturebeing located between such seat member and thee outer end of thebracket, a rotatable nut positioned in the aperture and `threaded ontosuchy screw? thread, yand an end-piece located outside of the bracketproper and projecting at an angle to the outer end of the stem, wherebyturningV of the nut acts to cause the endpiece to positively clamp anarticle between the end-piece and seat member. l

6. A .supporting bracket, including the combination of a bracket proper,provided with a smooth bore extending through its outer end, a stemguided longitudinally in the bore and screw-threaded on its inner end,the bracket proper having a side aperture extending from the bore at apoint opposite the screw-thread, a rotatable nut positioned in theaperture and threaded onto such screw-thread, and an end-piece locatedoutside of the bracket proper and projecting at an angle to the outerend of the stem, for positive engagement with an article supported bythe bracket proper, and means directly associated with the bracketproper and the end-piece and located between the stem and the outersurface of the bracket proper, for maintaining the end-piece so as toextend vin a given direction with respect to the bracket proper.

7. A supporting bracket, including the combination of a bracket properhaving an angularly projecting seat member at its inner end, andprovided ywith a smooth cylindrical bore extending through its outer endand an aperture extending transversely through the bracket proper andintersecting the bore intermediately o-f its length to divide the boreinto a rear portion and a.

forward portion, the bracket proper also having a rest surface for anarticle and ex- Ytending over the bore, a cylindrical stem in turning ofthe nut acts to clamp an articlev between the end-piece and seat memberand to frictionally bind the nut against the for-v ward wall of theaperture.

v8. A supporting bracket, including the combination of a bracketv properhaving a projecting seat member at its inner attachment end and providedwith a bore extending through its opposite end, a stem guided 1*'longitudinally in and concealed in thebore,

and screw threaded on its inner end, the

bracket proper having a rest surface for an article and a side apertureextending from the bore at a point opposite the screw thread,

such aperture being located between such seat member and the outer endof the bracket, a rotatable nut positioned in the aperture and threadedonto such Screw thread, the nut slightly protruding laterally o' thebracket and below euch rest surface, and an end-.piece located outsideof the bracket proper and projecting at an angle from the outer end ofVthe stem, whereby the turning of the nut below fthe article acts tocause the end piece to positively clamp the article Lbetween the endpiece and seat member.

THOMAS M. KEEFE.

